Compress.



S. J. WEBB.

APPLIOATIGH FILED JAN. 14, 1901.

Patented *ay 11, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lvi hmabeo S. J, WEBB.

GOMPRESS.

IIOATION TILED JAN, 14,

[LPPL UNITED STLUXTES PA BENT ()Fl lCE.

SAMUEL J. WEBB, OI MINDEN, LOUISIANA.

COMPRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1909,

Application filed January 14, 1901. Serial No. 43,224.

useful Improvements in Comprcsscs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention re ates to compresses of that class which are adapted more especially for compressing bales of cotton and similar matonal, and the ob ect ol' the invention 13 to provide improved means for accomplishing setforth in applications heretofore iiled by this result, and to this end my invention con sists in the various features of construction arranged, combined and having the general mode of operation substantially as herein; after more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings: l igure I is alongitudinalvertical sectional View of a coinplress embodying thcim'ention; Fig. 2 is a orizontal section of the some on the line 2-2, Fig. 1 showing also the prefer-rial Inca us for operating the pistons or phingers; Figs. 1-; and 4 are vertical sections of the low and high pressure rains. While my invention is, as above stated, more es ecially intended for use in connection wit 1 compressing bales of cotton, the various features ofconstruction can be used for other purposes, and the general features may be arranged and combined so as to adapt them forthe particular purpose for which I they areintended without departing from the spirit of the invention. So also the cmnpress can be used for compress ng balcsb y d iil'eront methods, some oi w nch are more particularly Ine,and While I shall more particularly dc- SCIlbG the construction of the. compress arranged and adapted to compress the bales 1n a certain manner, the invention is not limited to'this use of the device.v

, Referring to the drawings: mounted upon any suitable base, as the standards, A, A, is a hydraulic cylinder, B, having a plunger, B su porting the movable platen, B, and

rovi ed with a suitable pipe connection, I).

n this instance the head ofthe movable platen,'B, is outside of the hydraulic cylinder, and arranged on either side of the same are platforms or .lates B", forming floor extensionsaround .t e movable platen, B, and

practically on a level with its face when in its withdrawn position, but, of course, it is understood that the bod-y of the hydraulic 'ylinder may project forward sullicicntly to take the place of these platforms orplatcs.

Suitably connected with the iydraulic ;lindcr, 13, is the stationary bed or platen, U, and this may be supported in any suitable or desired manner, but in the present instance it is provided with extensions, (1, by ineans of which it is connected to andf su ported on the hydraulic cylinder through the intervention of rods or bolts, (7", ,fwhich rods are provided with shoulders, Q ;.to regulate the space between the hydrauliccylin der and the lixed bed.

Mounted on the sides of the hydraulic cylimlcr and bed are the side plates, 1), E, which are provided with one or more hydraulic cylinders, D 16, in which move plungers, l), 1*), connected to move the side plates, platens or dies, 1) and it. These Side plates 1), E, may be attached in any suitable manner, and in the present instance distance pieces, l), E", are shown between the plates and the hydraulic cylinder and bed. and bolts i), l pass through the same and secure the side plates in position.

The side plates, platens or dies l), i), may be of dill'ercnt shapes according to the particular purpose for Which-the press is intm'ulcd, but in the present instance they are provided with V-shaped faces having two compressing faces, (1, d, c, c.' These faces are preferably arranged substantially at right angles to each other, shown.

Connected to the hydraulic cylinders, l)", E", are suitable pipes, (1", c for sup ilying fluid to the hydraulic cylinders, and Hold may be supplied to these pipes in any suitable Way and by any suitable means, but preferably 1 make use of hydraulic ra ns constructed and arranged substantially as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. 'lhcsc rains as shown are, respectively, adapted for what is generally termed h igh and low pressure, and the ram, F, comprises esscnl ially a steam cylinder, l having a piston, l therein, the piston rod of which extends through the upper head of the cylinder and carries a piston, E o )crating in a hydraulic cylinder, 1*. Suitable steam inlet and outlet pipcs, 1, f,

are provided for admitting steam to both sides of the piston, F, and the piston is provided with projections, fif, on either side h *dra-ulic cylinder, G and the piston, G is li ewise provided with extensions, 9 g and the piston rod with an extension, 9', adapted .to enter the recesses 9 g, 9 to form cushions. The low pressure ram is single-acting and so I provide the steam cylinder, G, with an opening or vent, 9 to permit atmospheric pressure on the upper side of the piston, A suitable pipe, g, furnishes steam to the piston and may be connected with a suitable valve system in any desired manner, and there is a hydraulic pipe, 9, connected with theup er portion of the hydraulic ram.

VVh' e the various hydraulic cylinders and plungers of the compress can be operated directly and solely by means of the hydraulic rams, F and G lor many purposes it is desirable to provide the side plates, platens or dies with an independent means for operating them, and in the present instance l'have shown steam cylinders H and I, mounted on the side plates, D, E, and havingpistons, ll 1, connected by lSlYOIlpI'OLlS, H 1', with their respective 'p atens or dies 1) and E. These pistons are provided with projections fitting recesses in the heads of the cylinders for cushioning purposes as heretofore described, and with suitable steam pipe con- Jnections and controlling means, which may vary according to the particular circumstances.

i For convenience it is desirahle to provide means for operating the steam andhydraulic valves from a single position, and l. have in- (heated a convenient arrangement and location of the rams with respect to the compress and means for operating or controlling them. Thus, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2,

the hydraulic rams, F and (i, are connected to ether by the pipe, 9, and leading from the high pressure ram is the pipe, I), connected with the hydraulic cylinder, 13. Branching from the pipe, g, between the low and high pressure rams is a pipe 9, leading to the pipes, (1 and a branch 9 of this pipe is connected with the pipes e'-.

While any suitable steam connections may be used, as shown the pipe, 8, leads to the boiler and a branch, s, is connected with. the pipe, g, at one end and f, at the other end, while another branch, s leads to the pipef, and a third branch .9, leads to the pipe, It, and a branch s, from this leads to the t ipe 11. These pipes are provided with suita'b e inlet The low pressure and outlet valves 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 3,5 being inlet valves and 2,4, 6 outlet or eiihaust valves, while the valves Tand 8 are combined inlet and outlet valves, being fourqvay valves. These valves may operate in any suitable way, but as shown there is a valveoperating rod, m, having suitable cams arranged thereon for operating the'valves 1-6, and there is an operating handle, m, there.- for. valve-operating rod, 9L, having connections for operating the valves 7 and 8, and this rod is operated by a handle, n. This handle also operates thecheck valves 9, 10,11 and 12 of the small hydraulic cylinderto release the lluid. 'lhcre is a sleeve, 0, on the r0d,m, connected to operate the valve, 9, in the pipe 9, of the low pressure ram, and this is operated by a lever 0. 1 It will be understoodv Arranged adjacent thereto is another" that the cams on the 'alve-operating rods" are so arranged as to operate the inlet and outlet valves in the proper order to insure the correct or desired operation of the parts of the compress.

In the construction shown thestationary bed, C, and the movable platen, B, are protending across their adjacent faces at right; angles to each other, as more particularly shown in Fig. 2.

Such being the general construction of the ('OI1lpIGSS,';1S before indicated itmay be used to carry out various operations; for instance used for compressing the bales on end and banding them longitudinally with one or two I sets of handsextending around the ends, one being at right angles to the other,=and this compression on' end and handing longitudinally may be preceded by a change of the form of the bale or a slight compression thereof, sullicient to release the bands of the plantation hale from pressure, or the sides and top and bottom of thebale may be subjected to direct pressureprior to the compression in a longitudinal direction. Thus, for instance, the parts being in the'positions shown in Fig. 1, the bale is placed on end upon the movable platen, B, andex'tends over onto the platform, B The dies .D and E, are then operated either by the steam cylinders, H and I, or by thehydraulic cylinders D E to compress the bale on its sides and top and bottom to a greater or less extent hy means of the compressing faces (Z, d,

c, c, of said dies, and when this is done the dies will operate as confining plates, holding the bale in more or compressed condi tion while the movable platen, B, is operated to compress the bale in the direction of its length or longitudinally. W hen this is done the side dies D and E, may be with drawn and while the bale remains under. com pression between the stationary bed, C, and the movable platen, B, it may be handed by inserting one or more bands through grooves. t, c or, 5 c or both. These bands will then pass around" the bale over its ends and over its sides 0' its top and bottom or over both its sides and top andbot'tom, and the bale wil thus be secured while under pressure, and bypassing the bands around the bale in two directions at substantially right angles to each other it may be more securely held against expansion. It will thus be seen that the dies D and E, may be used as either compressing platens, confining plates, or

form-changing dies, and that they may be operated to exert the desired amount of pressure on the bale'either directly by the steam in the steam cylinders or by the fluid in the hydraulic cylinders or by both, and they may be restoredto their normal positions by either the hydraulic or steam devices.

It wi ll thus be seen that the press is sim ')le and compact in construction and is capa le .of being used for carrying out dill'erent modes'of operation without material change, and these operations may be quickly and rap idly performed.

It will be understood that the side plates 1) and E, may be operated directly by steam pressure in the steam cylinders H and I, when little pressure is desired, but when greater pressure is desired the hydraulic cylinders will be used to exert the pressure. In some instances the side plates D, E, may be withdrawn to their normal positions by the hydraulic rains, but this process is relatively slow and it is PI'PfOIEIlJlO to use the steam cylinders ii and l to return the side plates to position by the direct :n-l ion of steam in said cylinders, as this increases the speed of operation of the compress. it will further be understood that the use of two kinds of opcrat hip; devices for the side plat is especially dc sirable when the side plates are used as compressing plates for the halo, while it is receivmg its linal compression in the direction of its length, in that the hydraulic cylinders and their plungers act as locking or holding means for the side plates during the operation of the movable platen in compressing the bale, the water being a iion-comprcssible iluid and would be compressed or condensed What i claim is:

i. in a compress the combination with side dies or platens to press and confine the bale in the direction in which it has been previously pressed, and a main platen fitted to worl; between these side platens to compress the bale in the direction of its length, substantially as described.

2. in a compress, the combination with the main platen adapted to receive and com-' hydraulic cylinder having a plunger carrying.-

a movable platen, of platforms surrounding the platen, a stationary bed connected to and supported on the hydraulic cylinder, side plates supported on the cylinder and bed and h aving hydraulc cylinders and plungers, and side platens or dies connected to be 0 erated by said hydraulic cylinders and p ungers, substantially .as described.

The combination of the main platens of a arcs" and side )latcns having laces practically at right ang es to each other, one of the main platens being practically square and adapted to operate between the laces of the side platens to press the bale on end, and means for operating the'platens, substantially as described.

.6. In a press the combination with the main platens, of side platens arranged to 0p-' erate to press the bale to a fixed position and means for ri idl holdin these side latens in this position, the main platens being arranged to compress the bale on end whlle thus conlinml between the side platens, substantially as d'xscribed.

T. in a compress, the combination with the main platens of'side platens, having concave faces to press and confine the hole, one

ol' the main p atolls being adjusted to compress the ha 0 while it is confined between the side platens, substantiall as described.

8. in a compress, the. combination of the main platens, of side platens arranged to op= crate to a fixed position, means for holding them in this position, and independent means for retracting them to their normal position, and means l'or cushioning or proin the steam cylinders, and would not act as a l venting; jar at cacli end of the movement,

substantially as do :ribed.

U. The COIHblIllttlOIl oithe mam platensof a compress, and side platens mova Jle transversely of the main latens and arranged to bale in the direction of its length, substanoonfine the hale wh' e it is being compressed tially as described. 10 by one or" the main platens. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 10. In a compress, the combination with in the presence of two witnesses; 5 side dies or platens to confine the bale in the SAMUEL J. WEBB.

direction. in which it has been greviously Witnesses: grassed, and a main platen fitte to work HARRY B ZELLER, etween these side platens to compress the ELMER W. DECK. 

